Marisa’s Behind the Scenes Photos & Events
Earlier this week, we caught up with Mike Zombie for a special performance in his hometown of Willingboro, NJ at the town’s annual community Jazz Fest!
Performing to over 2,300 members of his community, Mike Zombie started his set with new favorites from his sophomore album, Humble Genius, giving the crowd tons of energy all throughout the 100+ degree weather.
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DJ Khaled‘s hugely anticipated latest album, Major Key, is available for purchase now on Apple Music!
His 9th studio album, this is Khaled‘s best work by far. Major Key is a carefully curated body of work that only shows off why Khaled is able to have such longevity in the music industry, including his ability to constantly market and reinvent himself. Features on the exclusive album are nabbed by Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Drake, Nas, Jeezy, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Future, Gucci Mane, J. Cole, Big Sean, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Wale, Rick Ross, Bryson Tiller, August Alsina, and many more. As you can see, even though times have changed since two turntables and a mic, DJs remain permanent elements of hip-hop artists’ success.
Simply put, who else do you know that can take a risk by putting a new artist under their wing (Kodak Black), or bring pop singer Meghan Trainor out on a track featuring Wiz Khalifa and Wale?! DJs have lost the art of truly breaking records and pushing the boundaries of music lines, but never Khaled.
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For this month’s segment of That NJ Ish, Drewski, Marisa, and I put the spotlight on the “Ease The Pain” singer Joella DeVille. The New Jersey native has been described as “the black Katy Perry.” Joella‘s alto voice perfectly blends R&B and soul while having pop influences.
Joella doesn’t just have a great voice, she’s also trained in music. She began playing violin at age three. As she got older, she studied violin, piano, voice, drama, and dance at Newark School of the Arts. Her classical training, stand-out voice, and her song making ability have already taken her far. Her music has been heard on multiple shows on VH1, Bravo!, and Lifetime. Between her musical training, voice, and charisma Joella has all of the proper components to make her a timeless artist.
We spoke to Joella about her influences, her recent move to California, hearing herself being played on radio for the first time,, and more. Check it out below.
Interview by Julie Aly
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It’s human to not want to feel alone. Every day on some level (subconscious or non) we’re searching for someone who understands our journey and what we’re going through, even if we’re unable to put it into words ourselves. Mainstream rap music is overrun with too many personalities that talk at you, rather than to you and with you. Perhaps that’s what drew us to our latest interview subject.
Enter Nyck Caution, the sole white rapper in the world-famous Pro Era collective. Aside from being a contender for the 2016 XXL Freshman Class, Caution‘s music speaks to the youth of the world that’s desperately seeking for a better tomorrow, even if that utopia only exists in their mind or in their headphones. This summer looks incredibly promising for the Brooklyn kid, who also just turned 22 in January. Hip-hop fans across the country will be able to check out Nyck Caution on tour with Cam’ron on The Smoker’s Club Tour, which also features Smoke DZA, The Underachievers, G-Herbo, and a few more.
In our interview, we got Nyck to dish out his recipe for success in the studio, the moment he realized his own potential, and how his spirituality shaped his latest project, Disguise The Limit, available for streaming on Soundcloud.
Read on, and see all dates for The Smokers Club Tour below.
What happens when a black kid from California models the name of his indie music festival after one of the biggest festivals in the country? Well, you get a cease and desist letter, and the threat of a $100 million lawsuit from the lawyers of that bigger festival, apparently.
News of a “Hoodchella” meltdown was taking over our side of social media, and had even made its way to TMZ. A few times. In no time at all, the concert that was originally scheduled to be a 1-day show of performers and DJs, had grown to a 3-day fest with over 100 names filling up the bill.
In February, however, we got to speak with Hoodchella co-creator Bearcap Sunday about what had happened to his brainchild that took after the name of the Coachella Music Festival, now known as Noise In The Hood. The 3-day festival kicks off today and will last until Sunday April 10.
Read below, and purchase tix for the event on the official Noise In The Hood website.
Earlier this month Marisa, Drewski, and I launched That NJ Ish, a four-week series that will highlight a different New Jersey artist per month. For our inaugural month, we put the spotlight on OVO producer Mike Zombie. Zombie served up some heat with Hella Crack 2 before answering some questions about rapping vs producing and freestyling for us. To wrap up this month, we decided to ask Mike Zombie some “this or that” questions to catch a glimpse at the man behind the music. Watch below.
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At our first “That NJ Ish” meetup with this month’s spotlight, OVO producer, Mike Zombie, we got to see some new colors from the bold and brash South Jersey star! The only thing better than picking Mike Zombie‘s brain (get it? Zombie? Brain?) during a fun round of “This Or That,” is getting to know him in the best way he can tell his story — through his raps. Zombie opened his exclusive freestyle with an homage to Jay Z‘s verse on his own production, “They Don’t Love You No More.”
With his 609 chains prominently displayed, Mike Zombie let us know exactly what’s on his mind since entering his new career as a producer. “All my shit is massive, let’s get this shit to the masses,” Zombie raps. He continues, “Tired of playing beats for boys I’m better than.” We personally know Mike Zombie not for being cocky, but for knowing his own capabilities and going hard by his damn self, and so we love when talks that NJ ish!
Check out Mike Zombie‘s freestyle below.